Role of California State University (CSU) Campus Faculty in the Evaluation of
Courses
for Transfer

AS-3238-15/AA (Rev)

RESOLVED:
That the Academic Senate of the California State University (ASCSU) affirm that campus curricula and the determination of satisfactory completion of graduate and undergraduate major/minor and campus General Education program criteria are the purview of local campus faculty; and be it further

RESOLVED:
That the ASCSU urge campus senates to develop policies, or review existing policies, for the transfer of courses that accomplish the following:

a.
Ensure the primacy of faculty in the development of the criteria for, and the evaluation of, the transferability of courses to and between CSU campuses;b.
Ensure communication among campus articulation officers, academic advisors, department chairs, and curricular and shared governance bodies;c.
Maintain a clear and transparent process to meet degree requirements;d.
Facilitate progress toward graduation;e.
Allow for re-evaluation of articulated courses by faculty; andf.
Are consistent with local campus program goals.

; and be it further

RESOLVED:
That the ASCSU urge campuses to maintain the transfer and articulation processes under the auspices of Academic Affairs; and be it further

RATIONALE: The ASCSU has a long standing history of faculty ownership of the curriculum consistent with Section 3561 (b) of the Higher Education Employee Relations Act (HEERA).* Two recent developments have significant implications for the transfer of courses between CSU campuses and between California Community Colleges (CCC) and CSU campuses. AB 386 requires that every state-supported, fully online course offered by every CSU campus must be made available for enrollment by students at other CSU campuses. AB 386 also requires that such courses be accepted for credit at the student’s home campus on the same basis as they would be for a student matriculated at the host campus. In addition, as part of the development of CCC bachelor degrees, Community College faculty are in the process of developing an upper division General Education (GE) curriculum.

In response to AB 386, the CSU established the CSU Fully Online Courses program to facilitate access to high demand, high success online courses. The program allows eligible students to enroll in one course per term offered by another CSU campus. Included in the program is a subset of high demand, high success courses intended to expedite graduation (identified by a red ribbon symbol on the website). Academic Affairs Coded Memo AA-2015-03 specifies that articulation officers will evaluate AB 386 courses for transfer, and the subset of high demand/success courses for transfer equivalency, general education placement or elective credit. The Coded Memo indicates that it is the intention of the CSU that articulation will occur with all AB 386 courses. For courses where an exact equivalent does not exist, the Memo states that “Credit should nevertheless be given in a manner which benefits the student,” meaning that “…course credit should be applied at the same level/manner (i.e. upper division vs. lower division, applicable to GE, electives within the major, etc.) when it is evaluated for the student at their home campus.” In practice, when CSU articulation officers have a question about course equivalency, they send the course to the relevant department chair for clarification. On the CSU Fully Online Courses website and campus websites, students are cautioned that they should consult with their advisor prior to enrollment, to determine whether these courses will be accepted toward program requirements at their home campus.
(https://www.calstate.edu/AcadAff/codedMemos/AA-2015-03.pdf) No separate process has been established for the evaluation for transfer of CCC upper division GE courses to the CSU, so it is presumed that a process similar to the current articulation of lower division GE courses from the CCCs to the CSU will be used.

The ASCSU shares with the CSU the goal of maintaining an effective process for course transfer. The equivalency of online courses emphasized in AB 386 and the advent of upper division GE courses in the CCC system put added pressure on CSU faculty to ensure the integrity and quality of the curriculum. This is especially true given that campuses meet overall system GE requirements in a variety of ways that contribute to the unique, signature identity of each campus. As part of the ongoing effort to integrate online education into the curriculum in a manner consistent with high academic standards, this resolution urges campus senates to develop policies (for non C-ID courses) related to course transfer that protect faculty control over the curriculum; create ongoing communication among faculty, campus articulation officers and other relevant parties;, ensure a clear and transparent articulation process; assure that the transfer process assists students in making progress toward their degree; ensure that faculty review transfer courses up for re-evaluation; and meet the learning goals of the campus.